THE SUEZ MAIL SERVICE.

7

E.—No. .3,

to move Her Majesty's Postmaster-Greneral (in accordance with your letter of the 10th November, 1870), to credit this Colony with half of that sum, viz., £1,378 18s. Id. I have, &c, Eliott Eliott, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. Secretary.

No. 8. Mr. Page to the Hon. the Postmastee-Genebal. Sib,— General Post Office, London, 19th March, 1872. With reference to your letter of the 15th December last, I am directed by the PostmasterGeneral to acquaint you that, following the course adopted in 1870, he has given orders, in compliance with your request, for placing to the credit of the New Zealand Post Office the sum of £1,378 18s. Id., that being one-half of the expense incurred for the year ended 30th June, 1871, in maintaining the Branch Packet Service between New Zealand and Australia to connect with the Mail Service via Suez. I am, &c, The Postmaster-General, Wellington. Wm. Jas. Page.

No. 9. Mr. W. Gbay to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd May, 1872. I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th of March last, and to thank you for having taken the necessary steps for placing to the credit of this Department the sum of £1,378 18s. Id., that being one-half of the expense incurred for the year ended 30th June, 1871, in maintaining the Branch Packet Service between New Zealand and Australia, to connect with the Mail Service via Suez. I have, &c. W. Geay, The Secretary, General Post Office, London. (for Postmaster-General).

No. 10. The Eight Hon. the Earl of Kimbebley to Governor Sir G-. P. Bowen, G.C.M.G. Sic, — Downing Street, 18th April, 1872. I transmit to you copies of a report received through the Board of Treasury from the Beceiver and Accountant-General of the Post Office, with copies of a statement of the amounts chargeable to the several Australian Colonies and New Zealand on account of the Mail Packet Service for the year ending 31st December, 1872, together with an account current showing the whole balance which will be due from each Colony on the 31st December next. I request that you will give instructions for a remittance to be made of one-half of the amount due, up to the 31stDecember next, from the Colony under your Government, as soon after the 30th June as possible, and that the balance then remaining due may be remitted after the expiration of each subsequent quarter. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E Bowen, G.C.M.G, &c, &c, &c. Kimberley.

Enclosure in No. 10. Bepoet from the Eeceitee And Accountant-Genekal of the Post Office, explanatory of the Account against the Australian Colonies and New Zealand for Post Office Packet Service during the Tear ending 31st December, 1872. The account of the amount chargeable on the Australian Colonies and New Zealand for Mail Packet Service during the year 1872 is annexed. The amount of subsidy payable to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company for the service between Point-de-Galle and Sydney having been reduced by £500 from Ist August, 1871, in consideration of the withdrawal of Naval Agents from that line, the Colonial moiety of the cost of the service for the current year has been reduced from £64,750 to £64,500; and an allowance has been made to the Colonies on account of the sum deducted from the subsidy for the period from Ist August to 31st December, 1871. Three of the Colonies—namely, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia—have remitted in full the amount of the balances due upon the previous account. The arrears due from the other Colonies have been carried to their debit in the present account. In the case of Victoria, the arrears amount to £26,117 10s. Id., being one-half of the balance due to 31st December, 1871. The attention of the Government of the Colony should, I submit, be called to this arrear. Geo. Chetwtnd, General Post Office, London, 12th April, 1872. Eeceiver and Accountant-General.